


AMA.Jack

by Jun_S_Kay



Series: Amari universe [2]
Category: Borderlands
Genre: Colour Theory, Experiment gone wrong, Jack feels things, Jack is basically a cat, M/M, PA Rhys, a lot of fluff, amari Jack, colours are seriously important
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-22 12:58:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7440208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jun_S_Kay/pseuds/Jun_S_Kay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack thought it was a GREAT idea. He wanted to be the strongest, most handome person in the universe, and he thought that becoming an updated version of 'A Weapon of War' was the solution. Without a care in the world, he had plunged the damn syringe into his neck, and promptly passed out.</p><p>His new body, and set of mind are a battle that Rhys has to reckon with, and saying: "Jack, no." doesn't work.<br/>Remember how cats like to sit on warm things, and climb to impossible places only to get stuck? Yeah, that's Rhys' life now. He has to deal with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Lightbulb Idea

**Author's Note:**

> The chapter will be pretty short, because this work is more of a stress reliever than anything. There will be a consequent story line, and progression, but I'm basically just imagining bullshit scenarios at this point.

_Something_  went wrong. So, very  _very_  wrong. The scientists had told the reborn CEO that this was a  _terrible_  idea. But, Jack had fully ignored them with a wicked smile on his face.

             _“Imagine the possibilities! I can exterminate those bandits singlehandedly!”_  He had called out in manic happiness.

Rhys, the fearsome CEO’s PA, had remained utterly silent. He knew so very well what this would mean. Whatever creature Jack wanted to become… They were used in horror stories. This was a story the cybernetic man wanted to close the book on.

|||

Rhys stared through the bulletproof window, right into the enclosure where, what was left of, the CEO resided. ‘What was left of’ actually wasn’t the right phrase. Everything the man  _was_ , was still there. He just had some… additions. And they weren’t the fun kind like:  _Oh, look I have an extra fist, and arm to punch you with!_   **Oh no.**  The PA wished it was.

Instead, he watched Jack rip the carcass of a dead skag right out, chewing on the bones to soothe his teeth, which had become sharpened;  _fanglike_. A long tail swished around him, sleek, and spotted in fur, and every time it touched his side, the man would snap at it, all the while  _growling_  like a feral beast.

With sharp nails, he enjoyed peeling the skin off the skag, and he seemed to be genuinely debating on whether to eat it, or not. He decided not to; it looked gross. He tossed it over his shoulder, and stared at the organs. The man narrowed his eyes, and moved away from the corpse, all the while grinding his teeth on a piece of bone.

There wasn’t  _much_  going through Jack’s head at the moment. It was basically; Hungry. Teeth itch. What is that swishing thing? In that consequent order.

He side eyed the new appendage that flicked on the floor without his control. His brain hadn’t yet made the connection that it was an actual part of him. The man snarled when it moved closer, a low clicking sounded in the back of his throat.

Which startled him.

Rhys watched the mighty CEO flail in place, drop the bone, and grab his tail. He groaned, and pressed his head into the glass. He should’ve said something, should’ve warned him, but  _noooo_. Rhys had to be a goody-two-shoes, and stay silent.

The scientist that stood next to him was scribbling something down on a piece of paper, probably proud of being  _vintage_.

            “For, uh…” The PA sighed. “How long is this going to continue?”

            “I estimate his brain will adjust within the next few hours. He’s still hazy from the whole passing out thing, and the brain needs to change to be able to control his tail, ears, and the rest.”

            “…The rest?”

            “They glow, don’t they?”

The lanky man arched his brows, pushing himself away from the glass. “I don’t know. Haven’t read much about them. Just horror stories, but those aren’t really that trustworthy, are they?”

            “No, they’re not.” The woman smiled. She was quite a nice person, not sucking up to anyone, nor demeaning to others. Rhys forgot her name, though. Apparently, that wasn’t just a  _Jack_   _thing_.

            “Can I go in without being brutally slaughtered for my bones?”

            “…I don’t think that’s a good idea, sir. For now, we’ll just have to continue monitoring him.”

The PA simply nodded, folding his arms.

Jack had always been fascinated by creatures, and monsters, and well… basically anything that could be used a weapon of mass destruction. When the opportunity arose to  _become_  one of the strongest weapons ever created, he jumped right on it.

Maybe it just wasn’t the greatest idea to inject himself with an unknown person’s DNA, even if it contained ‘the gene’, or as some people called it: ‘ _the virus_ ’.

The CEO had coincidentally found the DNA while on an expedition to the old space stations floating around Earth. It was just innocently laying there on a desk, glowing a faint blue. He had almost passed up on it, but it was glowing, and that bode well for money. He forced R&D to research the possible dangerous substance, and they came to the conclusion that it was DNA, containing the virus used on countless humans to turn them into war machines.

Jack had said: ‘Fuck it.’, and promptly stabbed himself in the neck with the needle after a bit  _too little_  research.

|||

It was 3am when Jack started to come back to his senses. He groaned, loud and dramatic, as he rolled onto his stomach to push himself up. Even in the dim light of the ‘enclosure’ the scientists had secluded him in, he could see the markings that curled down his arms, but halted before touching his fingers.

The man sat back on the ground, or well.  _He tried_. The second his ass touched the tail that calmly rested in the sand, he shot back up.

            “You gotta be kidding me.” He muttered, staring at the appendage. There was a mix of fascination, and horror in his voice, not  _quite sure_  what to feel. Then he seemed to realise: ‘ _If I have a tail…_ ’. Slowly, he brought his hands up to the top of his head. Nothing. With narrowed eyes, he lowered them to where his ears should be. Fur. “Oh  _shit_.”

This was not the plan.  _This was not the plan_.  **Shit**.

            “RHYS!” When in doubt; call your PA.

There was no response. The lights remained off, and his vision thus remained peculiar. The CEO stumbled around the area, eventually finding the glass window that separated him from his own goddamn space station. He punched it.

The man howled in pain, quickly pulling his arm back, and cradling his hand. “ _Fffffffu…dge…_ ” He took a few deep breaths, and slumped against the wall.

 

Jack didn’t know how long it took for a door to open, and for the pain in his hand to numb, but when it did happen he found himself almost  _blinded_  by the sliver of light that entered his surroundings.

            “Sir?” It was a woman’s voice.

            “Fucking  _finally_.” The CEO quickly walked to the door opening.

The young lady that stood there had blonde hair, which was messily tied into a bun. She had a scar on her leg, which was only visible when her long doctor’s coat moved. She scoffed when the man pushed passed her small frame.

            “Right. Glad to see you’re doing well.” She stared at him with a pair of tired blue eyes. She glanced inside the enclosure, scrunching her nose at the scratch marks on the wall. “You should file your nails, though.”

            “Uh,  _what was that, pumpkin?_ ”

            “Nothing.” The little lady feigned innocence. “We need to check your vitals before you leave.”

            “I’m  _fine_.”

The doctor looked unimpressed, and turned her body to eye his lower back. “Mhm.”

            “The hell you ‘Mhm’ing for?”

            “Just wondering if you noticed the…  _blood thing_  you’ve got going on.”

            “It’s dried. No biggie.”

            “If you say so.”

            “I do!” With that, Jack left the R&D department.

 

The halls of Helios were boringly empty at 4am, who would’ve guessed? The problem was that Jack really wasn’t tired at all. He craned his head to watch his tail flick around as he walked. Of all things, he became a  _cat_. All he knew at this very moment, was that he had markings on his arms, and legs, and that he had a tail, and furred ears. His tail was spotted, so that was neat. He should probably start his mission on finding a damn mirror.

The men’s bathroom was closed, and at 4am the CEO was not above entering it. No one would see him anyway.

His mask covered any markings that crawled up to his face from his neck, but he was  _not_  going to take the damned thing off. The sharp-edged shapes were a deep blue in colour, seeming to match the aged vault symbol on his face. The man ran his fingers on the marks on his arm, and shivered at the peculiar texture. It was like oil on his skin, but it wouldn’t rub off no matter what.

|||

His breathing was starting become laboured, and it felt as if something heavy was trying to slowly crush his chest. Rhys cracked an eye open, and tried slapping whatever it was off his chest. His flesh hand hit a solid form, and even his sleep-induced mind knew who it was. “…Jack?”

            “Get up.” His boss said, a low clicking matching his words.

The PA looked to the side, eyeing his alarm clock. “It’s 5am.” A yawn slipped past his lips as he tried to sit up.

            “I’m hungry.” Jack stared at him, eyes narrowing when a light was turned on.

The cybernetic man stared at the clearly oversized cat, and then eyed the tail. “Jack… does this mean that you’re a  _Jackguar_  now?” His voice was still groggy and heavy with sleep.

            “Shut up, Rhys.”


	2. Colour Theory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you didn't expect an update from me, did you?

Rhys brewed a cup of hot coffee as he tried to wrap his pretty little head around the situation at 5am. He cautiously looked over his shoulder, and sure enough; Jack was still seated on his couch, with very much a tail and (incredible soft) cat ears instead of human ones. The man was still faintly growling and snarling, and then looking surprised when he noticed what he was doing.

            “So,” He started. “cat huh?”

Jack’s tail flicked against the leather couch. “Mhm.” His eyes were narrowed. “At least I’m a _cool_ cat.”

            “A cool cat that is startled by his own tail…” Rhys mumbled under his breath.

            “Say what, cupcake?” The tail smacked against the couch a bit harder, making a dull ‘thump’ echo through the living room.

            “Nothing, nothing at all.” The man huffed a nervous laugh, finally pouring himself that cup. “Do…you want a cup of coffee, sir?”

            “As if I’d trust you _not_ to poison me.” The CEO stood up, and stretched his tired frame. He waddled over, all the while scratching his arse, and placed his chin on his PA’s shoulder. Subconsciously, he began rubbing his chin back and forth.

            “W-what are you doing?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “You’re uh…” The kid tried to wiggle away, highly uncomfortable. “Kinda rubbing your chin on my shoulder. It’s weird.”

There was a huff, and Jack removed himself from the string bean. He felt at war with himself, maybe ‘at war’ wasn’t the right term, but it sounded cool. He had no idea what to do next, _this_ was not what he envisioned! He envisioned cool fire powers or something, and being super strong, but not spawning a new appendage. The man looked around the room, searching for a computer. “Hey, cupcake?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Where’s your laptop? I gotta look up a few things.”

Rhys tried to take a sip of his coffee, but flinched at the heat. “I’ll go get it.” _It’s in my room and there is absolutely no way that you’re getting back in there with the light on._ He set down his cup on the dining table, and headed to his bedroom.

Jack grumbled something, pacing around the room. He kept losing his balance due to that _stupid_ tail. He tried flicking it left and right, but it seemed as if his centre of balance had become more sensitive! Every teeny tiny flick caused his balance to shift, and made him wobble. Without his intention, the fur started puffing up.

He flinched when the door opened and closed again, one of his ears flicking down and back up. He watched his PA carefully put the laptop on the dining table, and enter his password. “As if I wouldn’t be able to guess your sad little password.” He sneered.

            “I have a good password!”

            “It’s ‘tangerines’, isn’t it?”

There was silence, then came some grumbling. Rhys noted something down in his phone.

Jack’s sharp ears heard him mumble ‘ _gotta change that’_. He grinned, and quickly sat down behind the laptop. The man cracked his fingers, which forced a shiver up Rhys’ spine, and started his searching.

He opened up the Helios search engine, and asked his questions or gave his statements:

“ **I turned into a cat** ”

“ **What do cat tails do**?”

The first search results were mostly about some weird kind of movie, but the second search was a bit better. It provided him with the basic information, but mostly stated the obvious if he were to observe the patterns of his tail.

“ **AMA.ri**.”

There was a black screen, and a strange green line of text asking for his username. “I’dun have a frickin’ username, you little bitch.” He tried to backspace, tried to escape. The black screen remained.

Rhys came to his side. “Did you just break my computer?!”

            “NO!”

            “I HAVE CODING ON THERE, JACK!”

            “I was just looking something up, and your computer did this! I can’t leave.”

            “Well, shut it off! It probably has viruses!” Rhys pushed his boss aside and force-quit his computer. The machine whirred for a few moments and then, with a loud _rumble,_ shut off, as if cutting off non-existent sound.

The two men were silent.

            “That didn’t sound good, Rhyscakes.”

            “N-no… No, it did not.”

Carefully, as if he was a surgeon, Rhys pressed the on-button. The computer loaded. Loaded.

Blue screen.

            “FUCK!”

The kid had _never_ screamed that loud. It made Jack flail, get up and quickly step away. And then something changed in the way he saw the world.

From Rhys’ wrists, his spine, his eyes, mouth, _everywhere_ erupted colour. Hues of red, blue, stark whites filled the room, tickled the CEO’s nose. They swirled around each other, danced with one another, and mingled to form new colours. The PA seemed to be oblivious to this. _How_ could he not notice?

With wide eyes, Jack looked at his own hands, staring at the blue that curled around his fingers like smoke. The outside world’s music and sound fell on deaf ears, as colour replaced all information and emotion. Everything was so clear now. He _knew_ what the colours meant, every single one of them. He just didn’t know _how_ he knew. The man looked at the family photos on the wall, there were no hues. He glanced at a few cactuses that adorned the place. Some had a faint green or brown glow, while others had nothing at all. “Rhysie?”

            “ _What is it_?!” His PA all but yelled at him. He slammed his fist on the table, making a plume of _red_ dust off the furniture and up into the air to be joined with the other colours.

            “I dun’ feel so good.” The CEO wobbled in place, grasping at the wall for stability. He covered his mouth, a horrible feeling creeping up his throat.

Rhys looked at him, then looked twice before running over and holding him up. “Jack? Jack!” He could barely hold the man up as he went limp.

|||

Rhys stared at his boss’ still frame on the hospital bed. A frown seemed permanent on his face as he went things over, trying to figure out what had made Jack sick. Naturally, his body went through a lot of thorough changes, so that definitely could not be ruled out. Still, something nagged at him, telling him that it was because he got angry. He quietly sat down in the chair next to the bed, and rubbed his knees with his hands.

An hour easily ticked by.

Then came a groan.

Jack frowned, opening his eyes slightly. He groaned again, reaching up to rub his sore head. An IV pulled on his hand, making him move a little bit more carefully. He used his index and thumb to rub circles over his eyelids.

Rhys said nothing, allowing Jack to use all the time he needed while not feeling (subconsciously) pressured. He watched him push himself up a bit, resting on his elbows.

With squinted eyes, the man looked around the room, until finally he spotted a bit of Rhys, and a huge array of colour. He liked, and disliked the yellow in the mix. The kid was worried about him. He was Handsome Jack; he _didn’t_ need a little string bean _worrying_ about him!

            “How are you feeling?” Rhys’ voice cracked ever so slightly.

            “Better.” The nauseating feeling was gone, but something _still_ felt off.

            “I’ll go get a doctor, maybe you can leave.” He didn’t look him in the eye.

_Did I do something?_ The CEO wondered to himself. _Does he know?_ He watched him get up, and quietly leave the room. Once alone, Jack let himself fall back into the sheets, and squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t even open them when Rhys came back with a doctor by his side.

            “Is he asleep again?”

            “No.” Jack replied. “Just closed my eyes for a bit.” He didn’t really want to see the hues again. Just for a little bit.

            “How are you feeling?”

            “Fine. Just a bit of a head ache.”

            “Dizzy?” She asked.

            “Don’t think so.” He heard her noting something down on her ECHOcomm.

            “Nausea?”

            “Gone.”

She put her comm down, and tapped on the metal framing of the bed. “Sit up then, let’s see.”

Jack groaned, slowly opening his eyes again, and sitting up. He didn’t look at either of them, instead focusing his gaze on the stark white wall.

            “Dizzy?”

            “Nope.”

Rhys looked at the doctor as she genuinely tried her best to assess The-Man-That-Would-Never-Cooperate. She was still new to the job; keeping her hair tidy, and as clean as possible. Quite the contrast to some of the other people walking around here. They were happy as long as they could save a life, appearance didn’t matter. This was indeed a young lady, probably on her first week. “I think he’ll be fine. I’ll keep an eye on him until he goes to bed.”

Jack huffed and snorted. “No, you won’t.”

            “ _Yes_ , I will.” He looked at his boss for a moment, before returning his attention to the doctor. His eyes focused on her red lips mouthing ‘ _thank you_ ’. He gave her a small smile, and mouthed ‘ _you’re welcome_ ’ back. Jack was a tough patient.

She quickly stepped up to Jack, and carefully removed the IV. She gave a curt nod to the both of them, swiping a loose strand behind her ear, and left the room.

Jack swung his legs off the bed, and pushed himself up. “You’re not coming with me, cupcake. Bye.”

            “Yes, I am. I am your assistant.”

            “At work.” He walked past him.

            “This counts as work.” Rhys hurried after him.

            “Go away, Rhysie, not now.”

            “I’m just trying to help you. You _collapsed_ , should I remind you, in my house. You were _dehydrated_ to the point that you need an _IV_.”

            “Shut UP, _RHYS_!” Jack turned to him, a snarl creeping up his throat.

The kid’s hues shifted within less than a second, an explosion of yellow. _Bright yellow_ and grey. **Fear**. _Genuine_ fear.

Rhys took a step back, rubbing the back of his head. “I was just trying to help. Because I _know_ … you don’t really eat well on your own… you don’t sleep well. I’uhno.” Again, he averted his eyes. “Just trying to help…” He fidgeted with his hands.

Jack was quiet, still trying to comprehend why he _cared_ that Rhys was scared and sad. Usually, people that were scared _delighted_ him. He quickly turned around, and removed himself from the situation.

 

So many hues. Too many. Blues, greens, _pinks_ , _everything_. He started to feel nauseous again, so he covered his mouth with his hand, squeezing his eyes a bit more shut, hoping that would block out some of the persisting colours. He swayed again, until a soothing hand dyed in blue grabbed onto him.

            “Come on…” He heard Rhys’ voice. It had never sounded so calming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally starting to recover from a few situations, and getting everything back on track again. Because I'm working on the proper novels, I felt that I should continue the Amari universe based story.
> 
> Find me here on Tumblr, on which you can ask whatever you want: http://junskay.tumblr.com/  
> Feel free to comment, and such. I'm curious what you thought about this chapter, the writing, etc.


	3. Appointment made. Fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. Mhm. Hi. Uh huh. This is a new chapter. Only about... 6 months late? This is going to be my focus story on here for a bit, and I'm not going to care how many people will read it. I know it will be less than what used to be on my other stories. Not just because the fandom is a bit smaller (I'm tardy). I do just want to write this. So I will.
> 
> Please, enjoy.

Jack was unceremoniously dropped onto his expensive leather sofa. He gave a grunt and some clicking, but otherwise remained delightfully quiet. He swung his arm over his eyes to shield himself from the hues.

            “…Can I get you anything?” Rhys sounded nervous. Ah shit, he really did it, huh? Usually the string bean was quite all right, and bounced back. Why was his voice still too quiet and careful?

            “Vodka is fine, thanks.”

The PA rolled his eyes, and wandered off to the kitchen. Did Jack keep his vodka in the fridge…? Or… Hm. Where did you keep vodka to begin with? After opening many doors, he eventually found the alcohol _room_. He scanned the hundreds of unopened bottles and… oddly shaped things. His eye caught the obnoxious glint of a certain bottle. It was difficult to describe what it looked like. Did it have fucking _fur_ on it? “Oh my god…” Of course Jack would have the most expensive vodka of various planets. This one in particular was from Earth, and cost roughly $3.7 million per bottle… Rhys only knew because he once looked it up in a spout of boredom. It was called _the Billionaire Vodka_.

With a wide grin, the PA took the bottle from the shelf, and exited the room.

Jack was still in the very same position as he was left in, and didn’t even twitch when the bottle was opened.

            “You asleep…?”

            “Nope. Gimme the vodka.” He held out of his hand, and brought the glass lazily to his lips when it was handed to him. He took the tiniest sip. And then promptly tossed the glass away in disgust. “ _What the fuck did you just give me_?” He finally sat up, and his eye fell on the vodka bottle. “You didn’t…”

            “Well…” Nervous laughter. “I uh… _recognised_ it?”

            “RHYS.” That long tail puffed up, and a low hiss came from the back of his throat.

The kid took a few steps back, stumbled, and dropped the bottle.

Jack’s eyes followed it to the floor, and pupils shrunk when it shattered on the marble.

Rhys made a direct B line of the door.

The CEO leaped up from the couch, and tackled his PA down, promptly smacking him against the closed door.

Rhys made a sad whine.

            “Say kid. If you were an AMA.ri, you’d probably be a little _bunny_.” He spat. “Always running away from scary things, ears in your neck.”

Those sharp teeth were a bit too close for comfort. The kid opted for ‘nervous laughter’ again, trying to distract the other from how his tried to wiggle his hands free.

            “Uncomfortable?”

            “Just a bit yeah.”

            “You’re going to pay me back for that bottle.”

            “OH COME ON! That bottle is _pocket money_ for you!”

            “Yes, but it delights me that it _isn’t_ for you.” Jack watched the hues sway into electric violet. Also known as delicious fear. But, there was some goddamn lavender in there. _He was pitying Jack_. Oh how dare he? “Why are you pitying me?”

Rhys stayed silent.

Jack squeezed his wrists just a bit tighter. “I don’t ask twice, cupcake.”

            “No reason…” His voice croaked.

There was a silence between them, the CEO trying to figure out what the hell the kid was thinking instead of feeling. What if… what if his ‘pity’ wasn't directed at the current him? “Do you always pity me? Be honest.” He tried his best not to snarl.

            “Well…” Your daughter is dead. You don’t trust anyone. You only eat snacks. You are in the middle of a midlife crisis. All those and more, combined with you turning into a cat. Yeah, maybe there was _some_ pitying going on.

Jack watched the back of his head. He noticed some black dots obstructing the other hues. What did those mean?

            “Can you _please_ let me go.”

            “God I do love it when people beg.” His tail curled a little bit.

            “ _Jack_.”

Rhys breathed a sigh of relief when the painful pressure on his wrists finally let up. He awkwardly turned around, now standing chest to chest with his boss. Yeah, this wasn’t much better, and there was no way in hell he was going to look up. Instead, he watched Jack’s quiet tail. The kid wasn’t a star in cat body language, but he did know that this wasn’t a relaxed tail. “So… Vodka was for show…?”

            “Duh.”

            “I’m sorry.”

The CEO stared, or glared, at the pale yellow that circled around the other. Bit of shame there, maybe fear. “You’re still paying me back.” A grin crept up on his face when he saw the kid flinch.

            “I uh don’t have the money.”

Jack gasped. “Oh _no_. **Really**? Who would’ve thought? You, and your big mansion apartment?”

Rhys gave a wry smile. “Yeah, I spent all the money on plants. And a _new laptop_ …” He gave a side eye, maybe with a playful undertone.

            “Cute. Real cute.” A few pats on the cheek wiped that smile off of the kid’s face. Jack finally stepped back, allowing some breathing space (Which Rhys quickly used to take a deep breath). He scratched around his tailbone with a huff. Maybe it was good that he didn’t have a gun strapped to his leg, he thought when looking at the broken glass.

            “I’ll clean it up.” His PA hurried off to somewhere, only to come back. “Where… is the cleaning stuff?”

Jack arched a brow. “Leave it, pumpkin. I’ll call someone up for there. Go home.”

\---

Black screen. Green line of text. Jack was back at the ELI website. He glanced at the request for a username. He glanced at the laptop next to this (useless) one (can’t risk losing information to the blue screen).

_‘ELI new user’_ he searched.

 

_ELI usernames can be requested at www.electroniclifeimplantsnewuser.co.uk_. _After requesting a new username, all data of the person will be thoroughly analysed within 5 minutes by an advanced AI. If the person passes all security checks and requirements, you are can log in on www.ELI.co.uk._

           

            “All right. Seems simple enough.” The CEO set to work, and somehow managed to pass the AI’s requirements to log in on ELI.

**Username:     HJ69**

**Password:      JackistheBEST.69**

The site wasn’t built to look pretty, that much was obvious. It really was _just_ information. There were only three menu items.

General information

My own AMA.ri

E.L.I.

The general information was so general that it became uninteresting. The second menu item was basic information on what he had become, and kindly let him know that he was going to get nightmares if sleeping in a normal bed. _Fun_.

Finally reaching the final tab was ‘E.L.I.’.

 

**E.L.I.**

**ELECTRONIC LIFE IMPLANTS**

**Owner/ CEO:**                         Ayli Cox  
 **Products:**                               AMA.ri, Cores, Cybernetic external organs, Military weapons.  
 **Location:**                               Station 4, outside of planet Earth’s atmosphere, Virgo Supercluster  
 **Opening hours** :                   Mon-Fri:   6AM-11PM  
                                            Sat-Sun:    Closed  
 **Phone:**                                  +44 XXXXXXX

 

It. It was still running? Station 4? Wasn’t that nearby the station he found the serum? Now that he thought about it, the memory was kind of blurry. Jack glanced at the clock; 10pm. He took out his mobile phone, and rang the number.

            “Hello. Welcome to the ELI choice menu. Please listen to all the options before choosing, thank you. Please press 1 for Customer Service, press 2 for ELI information, press 3 to make an Appointment with Ayli Cox, press—“

Jack pressed 3.

            “Hello there Sunshine.” Came a woman’s voice. It sounded let automatic than the previous one, but still… something was off. “Please enter your preferred date for appointment in day-month-year, and we’ll check if we have an opening.”

The man-turned-cat hesitation, but entered next week.

            “Your appointment has been set for 14-8-2XXX, thank you for consulting us. We look forward to meeting you. Please bring along your registration card. If you do not yet have a card, please stay on the phone. Then proceed to say your log in name. We will check the data, and send you your card. Thank you.”

Jack went through all the procedures, and finally put the phone down. Okay. Good. There was going to be a solution for this. He ran he hands through his perfect hair, shivering a little when he touched his ears. A low, disgruntled sound came from the back of his throat. Basically being a cat wasn’t worth it. So far, he didn’t have _any_ cool powers. _Maybe_ he was walking a little faster, but that was it. Not worth it. Nope. No sir.

The mighty CEO stood up, and undressed on his way to bed. Only to realise that he really shouldn’t be sleeping in a ‘bed’. He groaned, stomping his foot down on the expensive wooden floor. “ _Fine_.” He hissed. Let the nightmares come. **Bring it on**.


	4. Black isn't a 'colour'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first things first. I'm not really planning on making this story as in depth as AMA.ri was. Mainly because I'm already busy getting the Amari universe to stand on its own stupid wobbly legs. It's like a newborn deer!
> 
> Currently working on book 1 and 2 of it, and would you guess that book 2 is titled E.L.I.? Hah! I'm looking forward to it.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

_There was laughter, mocking in nature. All around. Shadows with white eyes, and pearly grins stared at him. He felt so small. In front of his feet lay a small, fragile kitten. Unmoving. Jack reached out to it, his hand so tiny._

_He blinked a few times. The laughter had stopped, but there was a pair of fancy shoes where the cat used to lay. Jack looked up to see the familiar face of his PA. There was a sneer on his face, one eyebrow raised. One hand on his hip, and the other held a gun. When the kid opened his mouth, the familiar voice of his grandmother sounded. “Why did you bring that filthy creature in my house?”_

_Jack quickly scurried back, eyes never leaving the gun in his hand._

_“You’re lucky I don’t have my buzz axe.” Gun pointed. A click sounded. Safety off. Then there was a bright light._

Jack shot up in his bed, sweat running down his forehead. He searched beneath his pillow for his trusty gun, and quickly took the safety off, pointing it at every corner and stray piece of clothing. The vein beneath his temple was visible throbbing.

She always got to him. The one thing he may have ‘feared’. And now she dared to pose as his PA.

The CEO kicked the thin sheets off, and moved around the room. He opened his closet, pointing his gun at the opening. Just _waiting_ for the mad woman to come out.

After opening every door, cabinet and drawer in his apartment, Jack finally fell down on his couch. He eyed the clock: 3:45am. _Fanfuckingtastic_. He was bored. There was only one thing to do.

\---

Rhys was groggy, barely having slept at all. He sat on the edge of his bed, arm still charging. His hair was a mess, and dark circles messed up his usually perfect appearance. He glanced at the clock: 5am. Then he looked at his e-mail. Jack had sent him something. An appointment. “Why do you not sleep like a normal person?”

He opened the mail.

 

Date: 14-8-2XXX  
Time: 2pm  
Location: Office B1, main office  
Dress code: trousers, blouse, polished shoes, hair out of face, good-looking socks  
Appointment with: Ayli Cox  
Recipient: Steven Stevens  
Current AI: JACK.v12

 

Well, good-looking socks were a check. Rhys wiggled his eyebrows at his socked feet, and fell back in his sheets. He whipped out his phone, and searched for Ayli Cox. Best to know who they were meeting.

            “Oh.”

_Owner_ of the E.L.I.. All right then. Jack probably had already gotten tired of his cat features.

The PA rolled his eyes at the man’s fickleness (stupidity), and lack of patience (also stupidity). He got dressed in a haze, grabbed his coffee as breakfast, and walked the halls to Jack’s office.

The man himself was nowhere to be found, and Rhys just sighed at the hardships of his job. He eyed the new pillars in the office, and arched a brow. “When the hell did you do that?”

            “4am, cupcake.” Came from above.

The kid craned his head upwards, squinting at the _just a bit too_ bright lights. “…Jack?”

A hand lazily flopped over the edge of one of the pillars. He wiggled his fingers, before inevitably flipping the other off. Mature.

Rhys rolled his eyes, and received some tutting as a response. “Don’t give me that attitude, Rhysie.”

            “How did you get up there?”

            “I used my invisible ladder!”

Oh no.

            “Yeah! I took it from my penthouse, down the elevator. Then put it against the pillar, extended it and climbed _all the way up_. Come join me! I promise there is a ladder there.”

Rhys was unamused. “Even _if_ there is a ladder, you’ll just push me off so I fall to my death.” He walked to his desk, and plopped down in his expensive-but-not-as-expensive-as-Jack’s chair.

            “I am offended that you don’t trust me, yet delighted you know me so well.” The CEO chuckled, peeking over the edge to look at his puny subject. His tail started to flick impatiently at the lack of attention received from said puny subject. A low rumble came from the back of his throat, and he narrowed his eyes. He rolled his shoulders, and could feel his tail twitching and quivering. He was so focused on his PA that he didn’t notice the markings on his arms starting to flare up a deep red.

Rhys looked up, and his eyes grew wide when he noticed—before Jack—what was going on. The second the CEO launched himself from the pillar, the kid jumped to the side. Whisks of flames and sparks sizzled into the wooden desk.

The PA coughed at the smoke, and scurried back a bit more until his back hit the elevated floor of Jack’s desk area.

Jack slowly pushed himself back up, back cracking at the movement. He looked over his shoulder at the small fires on the desk. “Well would ya look at that.” A wicked grin crept on his face, tugging on the mask. His scratched his nails over the metallic floor, watching small sparks float up into the air. “Guess that monster wasn’t completely useless after all.” He flicked his eyes back up at the other.

Rhys still sat there, covering his nose and mouth. He coughed a few times, and then averted his eyes.

Jack’s face contorted into confusion. There wasn’t even that much smoke, at least not enough to suffocate a person. He watched the black splotches float around, and slapped at them in an attempt to make them disappear. They promptly ignored his mighty hand, defiant like a toddler. “The hell?” If the first try fails, you try a second time, and a third. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth.

Rhys was watching Jack grab at nothing, still covering his nose against the smell of fire. Why was it so sensitive?! He didn’t want to look at Jack in fear of endless mocking if the man figured it out.

The man fell down after slipping on the marble floor, because of course he did. His tail thumped angrily against the floor, puffed up in irritation.

            “Do uh… do you need any help sir?”

            “OH NOOOO! Just _cooling down_ my hot damn sexy body, Rhyscakes!” There was a hint of a growl in his voice. He all but hissed when Rhys came to lift the heavy man up from the ground.

            “Thank you for cooperating…” His long legs trembled under the added weight.

            “Oh you know me, kiddo. Now put me on my throne.”

            “You can’t be serious!” Rhys knew his boss was serious. Well, for as serious as Handsome Jack could be. Slowly, the PA dragged the man up the steps. He paused when he felt the spotted tail curl around his leg. _Jackguar._ He finally plopped the man down on his ‘throne’. “Anything else, your highness?”

            “Uh _yeah_. Turn down the sass.” The CEO made a kissy face, and gave a wink. “Did ya get my email?”

            “Yes. The appointment is in 4 days; Monday.”

            “Uh huh. Gather all information you can on uh… what was her name again?” He snapped his finger. “Ashley? Amanda? Avery?”

            “Ayli.”

A clap and finger guns. “That’s the one. Don’t wanna get surprised by anything. I wanna know _everything_ she can do.”

            “All right.”

            “And uh. Check if you can see if E.L.I. can be bought out.”

            “…You want to take over E.L.I.?”

            “ _Duh_. We barely have any business there. Apparently because there is a competitor! One way or another, I’ll get that space station plus products.”

Rhys gave a curt nod, and quickly returned to his desk.

Jack watched him, more specifically the black spots in his wide array of colour. He scratched at his stubble, humming. They seemed to be bigger than yesterday’s. He shrugged it off, and started typing away on a piece of coding.

 

It was roughly 5pm when Jack got an _urge_. An urge to mess around with someone. Unfortunately for Rhys, he was the only one within reach. He pondered on what to do. Set fire to his desk? Nah… Too predictable, and could damage the kid’s laptop (coding). So, what was the other  uncomfortable with?

            “Hey Rhysie.”

            “Yeah?” The kid didn’t even look up from his screen. Rude.

Slowly, quietly, Jack slipped out of his seat, and walked over to him. He stopped right before Rhys’ desk, locking his hands behind his back. “Rhys.”

            “ _Yeah?_ ” Finally, the PA looked up.

Jack said nothing, simply staring at the other with an expressionless face.

Rhys looked left and right, tried to discreetly sniff his armpits, and licked his lips nervously to check for any coffee residue.

His boss leaned in a bit, face still without any expression.

            “Is there something wrong…sir?”

Ah yes, little old Rhysie would only start to use ‘sir’ if he was starting to get scared. _Wonderful_.

“Is there, Rhysie? _Is there_?” He cocked his head left and right on the punctuation of the final two words, and arched his brows.

            “N-no…?” The PA started checking things on his desk, his arm, and just the entire room. Was there anything wrong? “Are you in pain?” He eyed the twitching tail. _Wait_. Twitching tail. Cat. _Oh_.

            “I’m not in any pain.”

            “I uh… There is something wrong.”

Jack leaned in more. “Speak.”

Rhys stood up from his chair, and prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do. “I…” He took a deep breath, stared the man right in the eye. “Am wearing Atlas underwear.”

Jack’s eyes slowly glided downward, tail curling at the tip. “You’re lying.” The man may understand the meaning of various colours, but he was still learning all the other things; combinations and disruptions.

            “I'm not.” Rhys had a cocky grin on his face.

            “Prove it.” There was no way that this stupid _Hyperion_ string bean would 1. Have Atlas underwear, 2. Wear it to work, 3. Pull his trousers down for a big reveal.

Rhys visibly wavered for a moment. He’d hoped Jack would just start ranting, or get uncomfortable enough to step away. But’uh… No. Nope. Mistakes were made. “I uh. I tuck my clothes in my trousers s’just too much work to uh you know…” He trailed off.

The CEO watched the kid’s hand spin in circles, and fought tooth and nail against the grin creeping on his face. “That’s fine. Yeah. Ya don’t need to do anything!”

Rhys went to sit down, but found his arm caught by his boss’ hand, nails digging into his skin through his shirt. He was easily pulled around his tiny desk. Oh no.

            “ _I’ll do it_.” Jack had that wicked grin on his face that he only had when he knew he was going to win.

Jack chuckled as Rhys tried to squirm away. With a swift yank, the kid’s stupid shirt was pulled loose, and the band of his underwear was seen. Yellow.

The CEO whistled as he promptly pulled the trousers down, coming face to face with his own face right on the crotch.

Rhys covered his red face, groaning loudly.

Loud, insane laughter erupted from Jack, as he fell backward. He pointed at his PA’s crotch, then at himself, obviously trying to speak. “HAHAHAHAYOUHAHAHAMAFACEHAHAHA.”

            “Shut up!” Rhys pulled his trousers back up, quickly fastening his belt. He grabbed a stack of papers from his desk, and promptly threw it right at his boss.

Jack didn’t care. He just threw the papers back. He wiped away some fake tears, just to rub salt in the wounded ego of the other.

 

Slowly, the laughter calmed down. Of course by that time it was 7pm, and Rhys had since long decided he was done with his work day.

Jack lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. He touched those furred ears, grumbling ever so slightly. Was there no way he could keep the cool fire powers without having the ears and tail? He usually forgot about the ears, since they didn’t move that much. The tail though… he lost count of how many times he accidentally sat on it.

The man pushed himself up from the floor, and slowly wobbled to the exit of his office. Just before reaching the doors, he took a sharp turn to the bathroom. Yeah. That usually happened after lying on the floor for about 2 hours.

Toilet was used. Hands were washed, and Jack looked up to admire his handsome self in the mirror.

He stood frozen. Staring at whatever the fuck was clinging onto his shoulder. It was like a deformed person, smile cracking the skin all the way up to its ears. Its oily, ink black skin dripped into the hues of green, purple, blue and grey. It leaned into his ear, and whispered something.

Immediately, Jack felt piercing eyes behind him. Staring. Watching. Waiting for him to make a wrong move. He whipped out his gun, and turned around. Nothing. The CEO looked over his shoulder. The creature was still on his shoulder.

With a shaking hand, he tried to grab it. There was nothing to feel, but the _thing_ did respond. It hissed, and almost screamed at the hand.

His heart went a thousand miles per hour. Body shaking. Legs feeling numb. Sweat ran down his forehead, dripping onto the clean floor. Then there was just this _cold_. All over. Everywhere. Like he was trapped in ice.

Before his conscious mind had even realised, he had dialled Rhys’ number on his ECHO-comm, and the kid’s, somehow soothing, voice sounded through the speaker.

            “Jack? Hello?”

Jack dropped the ECHO-comm.

            “You okay?!” The PA sounded panicky.

\---

Rhys found his boss huddled in a corner, white as a sheet. He didn’t respond to any words he said. The PA put his hands on the other’s arms. “Jack?”

Jack gave a weak whine, and quickly grabbed on to what he perceived as his life line. He muttered things about monsters, ghosts, or ‘whatever the fuck that was’.

At first, Rhys had thought that he was being played again, but his caring nature (though said nature was selective) urged him to get to Jack.

He pulled the man up the best he could, this time without complaint. No time to play around. He helped the man to his couch, and carefully set him down there. “Can I get you anything?”

Just some mumbling was returned.

            “Water?”

More mumbling and muttering.

            “I’m going to get your some water.” Rhys stood up, gave another glance the other’s way, and hurried off to get the water.

 

Jack was scared to look up, because every time he did, he’d see the black splotches he now _knew_ came from that… _thing_. He firmly pressed the palms of his hand against his eyes, curse words being the only thing running through his head. He vaguely heard his name being called.

            “Jack?”

He heard the kid kneel down, and then felt a soothing hand on his knee.

            “Jack, what do you need?” He’d gotten the water, but frankly had no idea if it would help.

What did he need? He needed the creature to be gone! He dared to look at it, watched it hiss and growl at Rhys. It tried to scratch at the hand on his knee. Should he tell him? He’d probably think he’s insane (again).

            “Talk to me. Please.” Rhys tried to look him in the eye, but Jack just kept staring off to the side. “Look at me?”

The man’s tail quivered when they locked eyes. He was happy to see an actual person. Happy that it was Rhys. “Listen, kiddo… I _know_ you’re gonna say I’m being stupid, but uh… There is this _thing_ on my shoulder.” He watched his PA’s eyes drift from on shoulder to the other. “You can’t see it. Just me. Ever since I uh ‘turned’.” There was such a deep sigh.

            “What does it look like?”

Jack looked at it, and it looked back with hollow eyes. Small mouth broke into a wide grin. Its bony shoulder hitched up with laughter. And it started whispering again.

            “If you even dare speak about this to _anyone_ , Rhyscakes.” Jack narrowed his eyes, grabbing one of the kid’s arms. “I will airlock you.”

            “O-okay? I won’t tell anyone!” Rhys’ eyes were big, and the hues around him were tinted magenta and violet.

The grip was loosened, and eventually Jack just dropped his hand. He ran it through his hair. “Black, oily. White eyes. White teeth. Bony. Looks human, but it ain’t.” He watched the other type away on his ECHO-comm. There was a whisper. “What the fuck are you doing? _Who_ are you contacting?” He made a grab for the comm, but Rhys expected it this time, and scurried back.

            “I’m _searching_ the internet for what’s wrong with you.” He hissed. “I already told you I wasn’t going to tell anyone. What makes you think I would go back on that?!”

            “All of ‘em done it.” Jack hissed back, but his _hiss_ was quite literal. He all but stalked down from the couch towards his PA, markings glowing a faint red. “ _All of ‘em **do it**_.” His trachea started to glow, and eerie orange climbing up from his chest.

            “J-Jackj-jus-stc-calmmmdown!” Rhys stuttered through his quick words, holding up his hands in surrender, dropping the comm. “Check the comm! It was just the internet! Just searching!”

Jack’s eyes quickly glanced over to the comm, seeing the internet. He slowed his breathing. Okay. Maybe the kid wasn’t lying. When looking back up, he was met with a hue as blue as Earth’s skies.

Rhys wrapped shaking arms around the man, and held him tightly, maybe a bit too tightly. Whatever the thing was, really freaked Jack out. He tried doing what his mother always did for him when he was scared. Gently stroking his hair, and trying his best to sing a children’s song. Granted, he didn’t have the best of voices, but neither did his mother, and that still worked out!

Slowly, he felt the man relax. “We’ll get this figured out the E.L.I., kay? Just hold on a bit longer.” He eventually sighed. “You’ll be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr here: http://junskay.tumblr.com/  
> Feel free to comment, you know... stuff. I'm always curious about the thoughts of my readers, and what they think/ hope will happen next ;)


	5. Just hold on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is bothering Jack: http://junskay.tumblr.com/post/163645135696/henry

Jack had finally calmed down, and managed to precisely explain what was going on. Throughout the whole conversation, the creature kept hissing and growling at his PA. Rhys didn’t notice it. He just kept talking even when the _thing_ tried to grab him.

The kid’s colours remained a soothing blue as he listened to his ramblings. He nodded at the right moment, asked questions when he should.

            “It also _really_ seems to hate you, kiddo.”

Rhys arched a brow. “I hope that thing isn’t representing your true feelings.” Was mumbled.

            “No!” Jack said just a _bit_ too fast. It did get the other to smile though. He noticed small specks or soft pink surround the kid. He liked those. “You’re uh… you’re all right.” He scratched the clasps of his mask.

The PA rolled his eyes. “Gee thanks.” Pink was gone. He ran a hand through is hair, and stood back up. “So, what do we do now? You gonna be okay with whatever it is that’s on your shoulder?”

Jack glanced at the thing, which silently looked back. “I’ll be fine, cupcake. Maybe just have a bad night sleep.”

 

Bad night sleep he had.

 

It almost seemed that now because he _knew_ something was there, it was _always_ there, and the things the creature caused just seemed to pile and, and up… Jack would constantly search his apartment for intruders, even shot a mirror when he saw his reflection. He was dead tired, and it showed at work.

           

            “Listen uh…”

            “Frank sir.”

            “Yeah whatever. I _expected_ a profit of $5 million at the very least. _At the very least_!” Was hissed.

Frank fidgeted with his fingers. “We made a $4.9 million profit sir, I’m sure that if we just give it a month then we’ll hit the $5 million.”

            “Nope! Too late!” Jack relished in the scream that came from Mr. Frank when he fell down the trap door. One way ticket to space, without oxygen helmet of course. Safety was for suckers!

Rhys watched it all happen, just counting down the days until they could get this issue solved. Two more days now. “Don’t you think you’re being a _bit_ harsh on them?”

            “Don’t tell me how to do my job, cupcake.” Jack tapped his fingers closer to the airlock button.

Rhys side stepped away from trapdoor area. “All right then.” He unlocked his ECHO-comm. “Do you want to hear the information I found then? On the E.L.I.?”

            “Sure, bring it.” The man leaned back, kicking his feet up on his expensive, _very expensive_ , desk. He ripped open a bag of pretzels, and started eating away.

The PA just rolled his eyes. _Just hold out for two more days!_ “E.L.I. mainly produces robotic organs and limbs. During the war on Earth they also produced weapons, and war vehicles.” He flipped through the pages, swiping left for a few seconds. “Creators of the AMA.ri, but we already knew that.”

Jack fake snored. “Boooring! Gimme something I can actually use, pumpkin!”

Rhys stared the man down. So rude. “What do you want to know… _sir_.” He hissed the last word through his teeth.

            “Gimme info about Cox. Not the dude kind, but the owner kind.”

            “…Really?” He took a deep breath. “She’s fifty-five years old. Secretive. Master at building robots, no surprise there.”

            “Jesus, basically one foot in the grave there!”

            “I’m sorry, how old do you think you are?”

Jack stopped his laughing. “Drop the sass, cupcake. What more you got?”

            “Jack.v12 is the AI controlling the entire space station. From the opening doors, to well…” He had no clever comparison to make. “Every… thing? Truth be told, there isn’t too much to find. I can’t hack into anything either.”

            “Well that fucking sucks.” The CEO gave a kick at his desk, turning his chair around to watch Frank’s body float in space. He watched his tail flick over the armrest, slight agitation visible in the bristled fur. He looked to the other side, watching the creature muck about as usual. It pulled ugly faces, snickered, laughed. Same old same old. Jack decided to call it Henry. He listened how Rhys returned to his desk in silence, fancy shoes clicking on the clean tiled floor.

Henry had a certain impact on everything, including his relationship with his trusty PA. Because Jack was more agitated than usual, he also snapped more often (obviously). Rhys’ hues, which were always calm, started to tint red and turquoise. Something told him that the latter colour was _really bad_. He should probably clear the air. “Hey kiddo, you mad at me?” Smooth.

Rhys just kept tapping away on his computer, not responding.

            “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then.” Maybe he snapped one too many times. He grumbled at his poor old back when he stood up from his chair. He all but _swaggered_ over towards his PA, tail swaying slowly.

When Rhys just _didn’t look up_ , Jack decided to proceed, and slowly. So slowly. _Draped_ himself over the kid’s keyboard and hands. His shoes squeaked over the tiles as he clumsily climbed on the desk. He ended up with his crotch (because of course) right on the keyboard. He flicked his tail against the other’s face, trying to curl the very tip around the nose.

Rhys growled in the back of his throat, trying to ignore his boss’ tail. “Jack, I’m trying to work.”

            “Oh, come on cupcake!” He tickled the kid’s nose. “Got your nose!”

            “JACK FOR FUCKS SAKE.” Rhys grabbed the man’s tail, and _yanked_.

An ungodly howl came from the mighty CEO. He clicked a few swearwords at his PA before ultimately lunging at the throat.

The cheap chair clattered on the floor.

As Jack tried to, somewhat gently, strangle his PA, Rhys just yanked at the tail again. He was pulled right off.

The gangly man managed to climb on the fearsome man’s back, and grabbed the back of his neck.

Jack stopped moving. It was like he was paralysed. His eyes were wide, though twitchy. “…The hell…?” He earnestly tried to move his fingers, but nope. The most he got was a twitch.

            “The back of neck is a weak spot in AMA.ri.” Rhys mumbled. “It’ll stop being effective when you relax.”

The idiot kid sounded kinda… cool. _What. No. Stop that_. The CEO snarled at him. “Get. Off.”

            “You’ll just strangle me!”

            “You deserve it!”

            “You’re fat arse broke keys on my computer!”

            “You pulled my tail!”

            “You started it!”

            “No, you did!”

The two just yelled at each other angrily until their voices started to crack. Then it just became angry panting.

            “Get… offa me…kiddo…” Without even noticing, he thumped his tail against Rhys’ back.

The PA slowly pulled his hand away from Jack’s neck, wondering if he should say something. He decided not to, and just righted his chair back up. He took his broken keyboard, “I’m going to get a replacement for this.” and hurried away.

For the second time in a short while, Jack lay on the floor. Though he was on his stomach this time.

Henry also lay on the floor, right in front of his face. The creature ruined everything he had. Any trust he had in others. No matter how erratic he acted, in the moment it always made sense! Because the monster whispered that to him, or that was what he guessed. He could never decipher what Henry was saying, but he did notice the pattern. He didn’t want to admit it. He really didn’t. But…

            “I’m scared…”

\---

Rhys stared down at the screen of his ECHO-comm, watching how his boss still lay sadly on the floor, his long tail slowly wedging its way between his legs. He heard him. Loud and clear.

He gripped the messed up keyboard just a tad tighter, and put the comm away purely so he could cart a hand through his hair. “Great.” Now he felt bad. Of course he knew that Jack’s behaviour could _partly_ be blamed on his new being, but that didn’t excuse it all. Rhys allowed the balls of thought to roll in his head, and wow that sounded more sexual than he anticipated, and typed up a plan for himself in an attempt to reduce his boss’ stress level. Maybe Henry would loosen up if the host was calmer.

He sighed at the _intense_ hardships of his jobs, because the basic idea was that Jack needed a good sleeping schedule, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and good stress management. 3/4 things were near impossible with the-man-that-would-not-cooperate.

The keyboard was eventually tossed in the nearest bin, and the PA headed to get a new one, and possibly a book on meditation. Not even specifically for Jack, but he just felt a lot of frustration coming.

\---

Jack woke up in his bed, but didn’t remember falling asleep. When his vision stopped being blurry, he found Henry sleeping just in front him, the hole where its nose was supposed to be eerily close. Romantic. The CEO turned around, finding himself staring at the back of an auburn head.

He slowly moved up a bit, just to peek at Rhys’ face. Asleep. So, he wouldn’t know if he did something on purpose. He shuffled closer, and sought the kid out for warmth (because that was all it was!). He expertly slung an arm over the string bean, and closed his eyes again. Just before shutting them, he noticed a few sparks of pink. He chalked it up to the kid having a good dream.

He still heard Henry behind him, wheezing, but otherwise being silent. Out of all the things the monster did, simply _breathing_ was the worst. It was always wheezy, as if out of breath or constricted, but the only time Jack heard it breathe was when he felt calm. Which in turn irritated him, and then Henry would start to laugh again. What an arsehole.

After a few moment of peaceful rest, he felt something creeping up his hand. Immediately he snapped his eyes open, and grabbed whatever had the _audacity_ to touch.

Rhys flinched.

Both were silent.

Holding hands.

Jack’s tail quivered, and curled at the tip. He felt his ears flick, which is the first sign of life they have showed since appearing. “Rhys…?”

            “I thought you were sleeping.”

            “Well, I’m awake.”

            “Yeah…”

Another silence.

            “Jack…?”

            “Yeah?”

            “I wasn’t sleeping.”

Third silence. Still holding hands.

Rhys petted one of his beautifully socked feet with the other, unsure of what to do. Should he let go? What did Jack want? What did this mean?!

The CEO watched the hues of pink swirl around. Another colour he couldn’t quite pin the name on. He just knew that it generated a nice feeling. Sharp inhale. Jack bolted up to the mirror.

He stared, maybe glared, at himself, and caught the hints of pink in his sea of colour. He looked at Rhys’ reflection, poor kid looked so confused.

Henry was silent. Didn’t even breathe. Just stared at the hues surrounding it, followed the sparks with hollow eyes. He hissed at some of the pinks.

Jack slapped at it. It looked genuinely hurt, but then it started laughing again.

            “Henry bothering you?”

            “When does it not?”

The PA shrugged, rolling on his back to stretch out. “Just one more night, and then we can _hopefully_ get this fixed.”

            “I’ll blow up the whole damn station if they don’t.”

            “Violence isn’t always the solution.”

            “Gimme an example, cupcake.” Jack plopped down on the edge of the bed. “When has _my_ violence not solved anything?”

            “…” Well. It all depended what you called a _solution_. Jack called murder a solution.

            “I’m waiting.”

            “And I'm thinking about it.”

            “Think faster.”

            “Your sad attempt in strangling me today was not the answer.” The kid got a smug smile on his face. He dared to say this solely because his boss was calm at the moment.

            “ _You_ used violence.”

            “Yes, true. Good point. But we were talking about _your_ violence. HAH I WIN!” Rhys fist pumped. _Heck yes._

Jack looked unimpressed at being played.

His PA was absolutely proud of himself. Looked kinda uh… huh… His hues were filled with cerulean, purple, orange, and pink.

Furry ears flicked again as he started to feel a bit warm inside. He liked how Rhys laughed. Shit. No. That was a lie. The man flicked the kid’s forehead. “Don’t be so cocky!”

The PA rubbed the sore spot with a sour look on his face. “Do that one more time, and I’ll mess up your outfit for the E.L.I.”

            “Oh, I’m so _scared_. Whatever will I, Handsome Jack, do without your incredible…” He made a disgusted face at his socks, and put a hand on his heart. “ _fashion_ _sense_ …”

Rhys hit him off the bed with a pillow.

Good on you, Rhys.

Good on you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr at junskay.tumblr.com  
> Comment all you want, love reading that stuff :)

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr: junskay.tumblr.com  
> Feel free to comment your thoughts, and such!


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